My senior year of college was a great time. I lived in a house with my friends, had just one in-person class, and managed to get myself a four-day weekend. But even I’m envious of Penn State quarterback Drew Allar’s senior schedule.
Opening the CBS Broadcast of No. 2 Penn State’s Week 1 matchup with Nevada, color analyst Gary Danielson revealed that Allar has just one class on his schedule this fall. Danielson lauded Allar’s veteran leadership and focus on football as he attempts to drag the Nittany Lions back to the CFP and one game further.
Rather than entering the NFL Draft following his impressive junior season, which ended in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, the former five-star quarterback returned to Happy Valley. Still, despite staying in college, he’s living the life of a professional quarterback. Plus, in the NIL era, he’s being paid like one, too.
His senior year certainly isn’t as relaxing as mine was. I didn’t exactly have national title aspirations hanging over my head. Still, Danielson’s story was a nice reminder of all the lazy days 21-year-old me spent watching sports and hanging out during the six days between my Wednesday afternoon in-person class.
Penn State hoping Drew Allar’s focus on football pays off with a national title
Allar wasn’t the only Nittany Lion who came back for his senior season. His backfield-mates, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, both opted to return and scored touchdowns in the first half of Week 1, as did defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant, who both forced turnovers against the Nevada Wolf Pack.
With a veteran core, James Franklin went into the Transfer Portal to supplement his roster with the additions of three wide receivers, Trebor Pena, Kyron Hudson, and Devonte Ross. The trio of seniors is expected to be the best receiving group of Allar’s three seasons as the starting quarterback at Penn State, and Franklin is hoping they will offset the loss of Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren, who became a first-round pick in last spring’s NFL Draft.
So far, so good for the Nittany Lions through the first half. Penn State jumped out to a 17-0 lead over Nevada, and Allar has looked sharp in his first action. The Big Ten has won back-to-back national championships, with Michigan claiming the crown in 2023 and Ohio State topping the college football landscape last season. Could Penn State be the third? That’s Drew Allar’s main and seemingly only focus this fall.